Storms and Teddy Bears
by Chromium Dragon
Summary: Tendershipping this time. Oneshot. Ryou's given up everything to keep Bakura out of prison, even his teddy bear. When a thunderstorm scares Ryou, will Bakura kill him for crying, or will he try to comfort the frightened boy?


Note: Tendershipping this time! I love you Compy!

Disclaimer: If I own it, you're a spider monkey.

Fic:

"Get out!" I scream, throwing a large boot at Ryou's head as he sets my dinner on the little table by my bedroom door. He squeaks and slams the door closed, the boot colliding with it and a loud 'thud'.

He always brings me dinner in my room, and I always throw something at him. I just want him to leave me alone. Every time I get arrested, he somehow manages to come up with the money to bail me out. He hired a good attorney who's gotten me off on a lot of charges. I don't know how he can afford it. I don't really care, either. It's his job to make me happy, why should I care what he has to sacrifice in order to do it?

He does my laundry, keeps the house clean, buys me food, and if he ever stopped I'd probably bash his skull in. He belongs to _me_, and only me.

---

He threw something at me again. It's just another everyday part of our routine. I wish he'd just talk to me, instead of being so violent. Oh well, it's better than being alone. I carry my blanket down the stairs to the washer and dryer in the basement. Sighing, tears of embarrassment filling my eyes, I strip down in front of the machines. One by one, as I remove my clothing, I drop the pieces into the washer. Adding soap and a softener ball, I close the lid and turn the dial, wrapping myself tightly in my blanket as I sit against the wall and wait for my clothes to be washed and dried.

I wonder if he realizes that I have nothing left? I don't know how I'm going to afford getting him out of jail the next time he's arrested. I don't have enough money to hire his attorney again. I've sold all my belongings, save for the sennen ring, a few dishes, my blanket, and a single outfit for me to wear. He's going to kill me when he sees the living room is empty. But how else was I supposed to get money? I can't keep a job for long because of him. He always barges in while I'm at work and drags me away. How am I supposed to support us?

I'm pulled out of my nightly conversation with myself as the washer beeps, telling me that my clothes are done. Standing up, I stuggle to hold the blanket around myself as I load my clothing into the dryer. Putting a sheet of fabric softener into the machine, I sit back down on the floor next to the dryer, just waiting until the moment I no longer have to be naked.

My existence is pathetic, and it's only going to get worse. I do my best to make him happy, just hoping that one day he'll realize that I care about him. I'm not just doing things for him because he frightens me. In fact, I'm not really scared of him anymore. I do things for him because I love him and I'm terrified of being without him here. I don't want to be alone.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts as the dryer goes off. With a sigh of relief, I drop the blanket to the floor and begin to pull on my clothes. Grabbing my blanket from the floor, I go back upstairs and into my bedroom. Laying on the floor, I pull my blanket over me, using my arms as a pillow.

As sleep finally approaches, my eyes shoot open as I hear a loud clap of thunder. I cry out, seeing the bright flash of lightning outside my window. Biting my tongue, I hope to Ra that Bakura didn't hear me.

---

I angrily jump out of bed, hearing a loud sob from Ryou's room. I swear to Ra, if he makes one more sound I'll suffocate him! I charge out of my room, throwing open his bedroom door.

"I SWEAR TO RA IF YOU DON'T STAY QUIET--" I trail off at the sight in front of me. There he is, laying on the floor and whimpering, lightning flashes lighting up the room through his uncovered window.

It's now that I remember one of his greatest fears is storms.

"Ryou..." I begin, looking around the room in shock. "Where's all your stuff?"

"I sold it," he whimpered as there was another crash of thunder outside.

---

I flinch as my bedroom door is thrown open, Bakura screaming at me for making a sound. He didn't finish what he was saying for some reason. Probably getting ready to yell at me about my room being empty.

He asks me where my things are. His voice is much softer, and he sounds worried?

"I sold it," I try to tell him. I hear another loud clap of thunder outside, startling me. I'm not sure if I ever got the words past my lips.

---

"Where's your teddy bear?" I ask Ryou. I know he has nightmares without it. I remember many nights when I'd hear him screaming in his sleep because he couldn't find that damn bear.

He doesn't reply, and I shake my head. I suddenly realize how he's been bailing me out and paying my legal fees. Sighing, I begin to feel sick as an unfamiliar feeling washes over me. Although I haven't felt it before, I know very well that this feeling is guilt.

"Come on," I say quietly, pulling Ryou to his feet. "You're sleeping in my bed tonight."

---

I stay silent as Bakura pulls me into his room. I'm not sure if I should be terrified or thankful. Right now, I'm a little of both. I flinch as he pushed me onto his bed, but I don't fight him. He tells me to lay down and I obey.

---

Not sure what else to do, I turn out the light and lay next to Ryou. I can't believe he sold everything in his room. I feel him jump as I hear more thunder outside.

Damnit, Ryou, you could've at least kept your teddy bear. I wrap my arms around his chest and hold him up against me, hoping that I can replace his bed-time friend for at least tonight.

---

I flinch as I feel Bakura's arms around me. After the initial shock wore off, it was actually comforting. Sleep found its way to me and I gave in, seeking shelter from the storm outside behind my heavy eyelids.

As I open my eyes, I realize I'm not in my own room. It takes me a minute to remember what happened last night. I look around and Bakura's nowhere in sight. This worries me. I go downstairs and into the kitchen, finding a plate of what seems to be an attempt at breakfast.

Was this Bakura's doing?

---

I spent the entire morning looking through pawn shops to find that damn bear. Wherever he sold it to, it's gone now. I kick an empty bottle on the street as anger boils inside of me.

Why didn't he tell me he had no money? Ra, I'm such a loser, thinking it was his job to take care of me. He's just a kid who can't even take care of himself!

I pull my leg back, ready to kick the bottle as I catch up to it. My reflection in a store window catches my attention. I put my leg back down, my foot feeling the sidewalk underneath me. As I blink at my reflection, I notice a beat up stuffed bear in the window. It's ear is held on by a brightly colored thread that stands out against the dull fur. Its eye is falling out and one of the arms sticks out at an odd angle.

That looks like Ryou's bear...

I walk into the store full of old hand-me-down toys. I go over to the bear in the window and pick it up. It smells like our house. Checking the tag, I see Ryou's horrible childhood signature staring up at me. Pulling my wallet out of my back pocket, I take the bear to the counter and purchase it.

---

Bakura completely ignored me when he came home. When I walked into my bedroom, I found my old teddy bear laying on my blanket on the floor.

Tonight when I took his dinner to him, he didn't say a word. He met me by the door and took his plate from me, then sat down on the bed and ate it. I managed to linger in the doorway for a moment, then left on my own accord, _without_ having something thrown at me.


End file.
